Birthdays: William Hazlitt (1778), Joseph Pulitzer (1847), Paul Theroux (1941), Martin Waddell (1941), John M. Ford (1957), Anne Lamott (1954), Penny Vincenzi (1939)

Tip: Think about your book. What will your ideal cover art look like? Find pictures of your characters and background and add them to your file for future reference.

Thought for the day: “The more you write, the more you’re capable of writing.” – Paul Theroux

Jumpstart: Go to a yard sale or secondhand shop and pick out one item of interest. Write a scene about it. What is its history? What happened that it is now for sale?

Today is also National Encourage a Young Writer Day. Do what you can to encourage a young person to write. Or read. Or paint. Or play music. Actually, anything having to do with the arts.